Last Daughter of Apokolips
by Vampcoffee
Summary: Zair Kal-Il is Ultragirl, the daughter of Ultraman and Superwoman of Earth 3. She was captured and corrupted by Grail during the Darkseid War. Now, after being bathed in the fires of Apokolips, Ultragirl has been resurrected by Darkseid to serve as his tool of destruction. [Tagged characters are alternate versions.]
1. Arrival

Solarman, The Shroud, and Miss Amazon tumbled through the air. They were joined by Synth, Hyperman, and Venusian Vicar, all of them bloody and broken. They were falling. A sulfurous atmosphere burned around them and a fiery hellscape waited below.

Miss Amazon strained to right herself mid-air, her own flight unable to counter her momentum. She turned to Solarman. "Clark, can you fly?"

"Barely, I don't have enough energy," Solarman said as he righted himself as well.

Injuries and a lack of sunlight kept him from doing much else. He caught Hyperman and Synth as they fell, the three of them plummeting to the ground. The Shroud vanished into smoke long enough to slow down his descent while Miss Amazon guided herself toward Venusian Vicar. The pair clung to eachother.

" _Lightform of the Almateise,"_ Vicar chanted.

A blue-white glow spread outward, enveloping the members of the Justice Council. The lifting energy lightened the group and further slowed their descent. With their efforts combined they would be able to survive impact with the scorched planet.

Solarman and those he carried were the first to meet the ground. A crushing thud followed by a cloud of red dirt. Solarman himself endured most of the force, breaking the fall for Hyperman and Synth. Venusian Vicar and Miss Amazon landed next and managed to find their footing quickly. A black shape struck the ground and exploded into smoke behind them. Within a few minutes it had reformed into The Shroud.

He craned his neck to the sky, cowled eyes squinting against the acrid air. A black portal swirled among the acidic clouds above. The portal that took them from their world. Wisps of purple lightning cracked out of the void as it began to close. Once it vanished from the orange-red sky, The Shroud turned to his teammates.

"We're stranded."

Miss Amazon looked to him then walked over to Synth. "Where are we?"

Synth and Hyperman helped Solarman get to his feet. "I detect no familiar networks or satellites," she said. She brought two fingers to her temple, where the dark skin of her face ended and her machine body began. After a few seconds of scanning nearby networks, she reported, "I do not think we are in our own reality anymore."

"That's... concerning," Hyperman said. "Where do we go from here?"

"Survey the area," Miss Amazon said. "Shroud, look for signs of life. Synth, analyze any technology you can find. Hyperman, find the nearest landmark."

The three councilors broke off from the group to carry out Miss Amazon's requests. Meanwhile, Miss Amazon walked to Solarman. She studied him, his fair skin burned in places, his white-gold suit and orange cape tattered and scorched.

"Clark, how did this happen?"

"The witch-child..." Venusian Vicar spoke up. "She invaded my mind. She used my magic against him," the venusian said, tears spilling down her violet face. "I'm so sorry." **[*]**

"Magic..." Miss Amazon breathed. Now it made sense.

"Don't blame yourself," Solarman said. "It's not your fault."

Vicar wiped her tears. "I can invoke sunlight," she offered. "It should recharge you, at least temporarily."

"Do it," Miss Amazon said. She then floated upward to get a better view of her surroundings.

Vicar raised her hands towards Solarman. _"_ _Gantiel's Starlit Aura."_

The venusian took on a luminous golden glow and the kryptonian basked in this light. This went on for several minutes as Miss Amazon hovered above. She made a visor with her hand, peering out into the horizon. There was a tower in the far distance, standing out over a low skyline of what seemed to be rusted industrial decay. This is likely what Hyperman would find in his travel. Miss Amazon wondered what it could be.

A streak of blue energy indicated she would not wonder for long. Hyperman was a flash as he returned and Miss Amazon lowered to meet him.

"There's a tower out there, really tall, lots of tech inside," Hyperman reported. "Not sure what it was, but it made my powers feel kinda 'wibbly-wobbly'."

Miss Amazon titled her head. "Something dealing with time?"

Hyperman shrugged. "Or space. Or both."

"Speaking of tech," Synth said. The Council members all looked as the cyborg joined them again. "I have decoded several languages and coding structures that are used here. Sources refer to this planet as 'Apokolips'."

The Shroud was last to return to the group. His smoke form turned solid and the Council noticed he was carrying a small humanoid creature. Big eyes and green skin, a scrap of cloth around it's waist.

Miss Amazon frowned. "Is that a goblin?"

"You're looking at the common denizen of this land." The Shroud raised the creature by its neck. "There are thousands just like him."

"What's wrong?" Hyperman asked. "He doesn't look so tough."

"They're prey, too numerous to be predators," Shroud said. "Something on this planet eats these, likely by the dozen."

"Hermes, guide us," Miss Amazon said. She turned back to Solarman and Venusian Vicar. "Clark and Raszyra, are you ready?"

"I've done all I can," Vicar said, hanging her head.

"My powers are almost back to full," Solarman said, a hand on Vicar's shoulder. "It should last for a few hours at least."

"Come then, we head for the structure over the horizon," Miss Amazon said. "Hyperman will lead us and hopefully not leave us behind."

Hyperman smirked. "I would never-" He blinked away.

The Shroud rolled his eyes and dropped the dreg creature. It scurried away as he shifted into a black cloud. Seconds later, Hyperman returned. He blurred through the smoke that was The Shroud and they bonded into a speeding trail of blue-black energy. Synth ran after them, boosting with her rocket jets. Miss Amazon took Venusian Vicar's hand and picked her up. They and Solarman flew together.

The Shroud and Hyperman discovered this technique of merging at speed by accident. They were approaching a villain from the same angle and they were both in their heightened forms. It took two days until they figured out how to separate. But now, it had become the best way for them to travel together. Despite its usefulness, The Shroud still didn't seem to care for it.

The "Hypershroud" their sidekicks dubbed it. The Youth Council. There was an unspoken concern about their fellow team of aspiring heroes. Solarboy and Solargirl. Shadeling and Hyperkid. If that witch-child was still in their universe, the Youth Council would have to step up in the absence of their mentors. It would be their first encounter of such magnitude...

"Do you think that... _thing_ is still in Metropolis?" Solarman asked.

"I think we can trust the Youth Council to muster an effective response," Miss Amazon said.

The Justice Council did not exchange many words beyond that. They spent the next few minutes traveling to the strange tower in silence. Soon they were among what passed for civilization on this world, long stretches of dystopian slums and vile machine architecture. Pillars of black smoke stained the red sky over these makeshift factories and scrapyards. And within this hellscape, there were hundreds of thousands of the dregs that Shroud had discovered. They were toiling endlessly, beyond the point of exhaustion. Their work and living conditions suggested the makings of slavery. Miss Amazon scowled at the thought.

Finally, they arrived within a few meters of the tower. It emitted a cool blue glow, standing in stark contrast to the red earth and rusted metal and burning sky. The Shroud emerged from Hyperman, Synth shut off her jets, Miss Amazon and Solarman touched down. They entered the tower slowly, wary of what may be waiting inside.

There was a column of screens at the center of the tower, all showing various charts and graphs. Synth began scanning the structure once inside. "I am reading a quantum-entanglement beacon at the core of this structure," she said. "It is one point of a bridge between dimensions."

"And the other point?" Miss Amazon asked. She followed Synth over to one of the many consoles circling the edge of the room.

"Undetermined," Synth said, after a moment. "The device requires input."

"Metropolis," Solarman said.

"The Watchtower," Miss Amazon overruled.

Synth looked up from the console. She watched Solarman cross his arms and Miss Amazon place hands on her hips in response. "Should we take a moment to deliberate?" the cyborg asked.

"That's a luxury we don't have," The Shroud said.

Synth turned back to the console. "The Watchtower, then." She began typing in the coordinates leading to the Watchtower of Earth +5. While she did that, a sound drew near. The sound of heavy wings beating the air. Miss Amazon gave a look to Hyperman.

"Good idea," Hyperman said. "I'll check." In a blur of blue he was gone and back again. "Okay, so, don't freak out, but, demons."

"Excuse me?" Solarman said.

"They're big and mean and ugly," Hyperman said. "Shroud called it."

The predators to the prey. The Shroud took no joy in being right.

"Raszyra, stay here. Protect Synth while she builds the bridge. Call us when it's ready." Miss Amazon summoned her sword and shield. "The rest of you, with me." She left the tower. Solarman, Hyperman, and The Shroud followed after her.

A horde of parademons awaited them. The winged beasts descended upon the heroes, born of chaos, thirsting for blood. Solarman leaped in front of the other councilors, tanking the fray of claws and teeth and horns. He fought back with brutal efficiency as he only needed one punch to crush a demon into the ground or launch it miles into the distance. Miss Amazon performed similarly with her godly armament, a sword that could fell a demon in two strokes and a shield that could repel any blow. Hyperman and The Shroud worked in tandem. Together they took down one enemy at a time with a flurry of strikes.

However, the number advantage proved too great. Even after a dozen parademons were defeated, another dozen still remained. The Justice Council lost ground, retreating back toward the tower. They continued to fight and a pair of demons slipped past as they relocated.

"Shroud! Hyperman!" Miss Amazon said.

The Shroud became black haze. "We're on it."

Solarman remained at the front of the group. He shielded the entry with his body and fired laser vision to keep the swarm at bay. Miss Amazon joined him with a divine bow and lightning bolt arrows. Together they held the line as one.

Meanwhile, Hyperman and The Shroud headed back to the console room. Synth blasted one of the demons that got through while Shroud and Hyperman defeated the other.

"What's the status of the bridge?" Shroud asked.

"The coordinates for the bridge are set," Synth said as she reloaded her cannon arm. "The passage to our Earth is currently at 30 percent and charging."

A warp gate had taken shape in the center of the room and a bead of light was charging into what would soon be a portal to the Watchtower.

"What about Vicar?" Hyperman asked noticing the venusian seemed to be passed out on the floor.

"She sensed some kind of entity with her powers," Synth said as Solarman and Miss Amazon joined them. The demons were finally gone.

"There's a god here..." Venusian Vicar said, eyes wide with fear.

"I'm guessing you don't mean Dianne?" Hyperman asked. Miss Amazon sighed.

Vicar shook her head. "The god of this awful place... the god of evil..." Vicar was shivering all over. "Darkseid."

Miss Amazon's brow drew tight. "Where is he?"

"We don't have time for this," Solarman said.

"We are sworn to defeat evil wherever it may tread," Miss Amazon said. "Not just in your favorite city."

Solarman closed his hands into fists and The Shroud stepped forward, moving between Dianne and Clark.

"The bridge is only at fifty percent," Synth said. "We do have at least that long."

Miss Amazon looked over at the bridge gate, a small bead of energy that was ever so slowly growing into a full-size dimensional bridge. "Hyperman, how much ground can you cover in that time?"

Hyperman scoffed. "Don't insult me."

"Fine," Miss Amazon said. "Search this planet; find this 'god'," she ordered. "You will be the judge of whether we face him or return to our world."

Hyperman glanced at the rest of the Justice Council and gave a weak laugh. "No pressure, right?"

He turned towards the entrance and lowered into a runner's stance. Blue waves of energy bled away from him. He was positively radiating with the Timestorm. Then, in a blink, he was gone.

* * *

 **[*]** See _Daughter of Shadows_


	2. Resurrection

The Dark God sat upon the throne of Apokolips. Deep within the center of a temple foundry built in his name, he waited. Darkseid. Before him, a pit of fire; painting angry red and orange across the dark stones of the throne room. A metallic world toiled at his command, the burned and blackened heart of a ruthless military machine. He sat alone in his thoughts, knowing that myriad tasks were being slavishly tended to all over his planet. Those who failed their service to him would meet an ire most heinous.

Just then, a feeble mind approached Darkseid's consciousness. It was as a flea poking at the edge of his senses. He wondered how long the pest had been there before he noticed. He dominated the psychic link with only a fraction of his attention. In doing so, he found an odd alien being on the other end. She was certainly foreign to his world. She also had a small group of friends. They thought themselves heroes. They debated whether to attack him or return to their world.

Darkseid would have smirked at that thought if only it weren't so inconsequential. There was no threat among them; not even their powers combined could present a challenge. The whole notion was nothing but a fleeting annoyance. Darkseid could rid himself of this nuisance via any number of weapons at his disposal. There was nothing lost in deploying one such weapon. There was nothing lost in removing these intruders from the face of his planet.

For their own sake, these heroes would run along while they still could. Otherwise, they would learn the fate of those unwelcome on Apokolips.

Darkseid stood from his throne. He was massive, hulking, towering over his worshippers. Various devotees all kneeled to him, slaves and warriors and clerics. His daughter was also there, bearing his dark and unsightly resemblance. The air was heavy around them, thick and dripping with their power. The Omega Effect, which they both shared. Burning just under the surface, disturbing the universe, threatening to end all of reality. The red-black energy bolted from his eyes. It shot straight ahead before bending ninety degrees. This shift sent the Omega beams straight down into the hellpit before him. Seconds later the beams exploded within the pit, resulting in a sputtering eruption of flame and ash.

Deep within the fire and chaos, a presence formed amidst the roil. A being which had been ended by the Omega Effect, now returned to life. Ultragirl died in reverse, unliving her vicious demise. She woke at the core of a star and all of her senses were incinerated by her molten grave. Slaves scurried over to the pit and tossed hooks down into the fire. They latched onto Zair limbs, wrapping about her head and neck. Then, she was hoisted up from the blazing deep. The slaves dragged Zair until she was laying on the black rock at Darkseid's feet. Regardless of who she had been, she emerged corrupted, bearing the stain of a New God. A hellish baptism in the fires of the Apokolips. A despicable denial of death itself.

Resurrection.

Ultragirl's mind was aflame with rage. She struggled to even sit upright. Her body was heavy and sick with a dark power that did not belong to her. Ultragirl looked down at herself and hardly recognized what she saw. Pale gray skin, her hands emitting the red-black glow of Omega energy. Her clothes were different as well. She now wore a bodysuit, thigh-high boots, and long gloves, all dark blue. Her new outfit also had a blood-red cape and was trimmed with black throughout. Ultragirl did not remember ever looking like this. However, she eventually looked up to see Darkseid standing over her, his eyes boiling with power. That is something she recalled all too well…

* * *

Kryptonian females inherit their father's name.

They are also given a first name of their own, typically by the mother. However, Zair Kal-Il was only half-Kryptonian; her mother was an Amazon. She was born in secret and hidden away from her father. She was moved around to different bunkers and stations, always kept far away from others like some cursed object. Her days were rife with longing. Her nights were spent crying alone in a windowless cell. She was a prisoner to her mother's shame. Syndicate personnel were her only company. Their care for her was more accurately described as maintenance. And during this time, she had no name at all.

Everything changed when their world became the target of the Anti-Monitor. No-name Syndicate allies were sent to train and teach her. She learned to read and write. She learned some measure of tact and social skills. And then she learned of her power. Everything else swiftly became irrelevant. The troops who ordered her around where utterly frail compared to her. She could rip any of her holding facilities to shreds if she wanted. Though, she never did. The reason why was simple: it was all she knew. She did not know why they were training her. Why they were allowing her some added freedoms, if only minor. She only knew that it felt amazing to exercise even a shred of her might. The thought of full release was something she dreamed of often.

She was ten years old when she saw her mother for the first time. They looked very much alike, dimples, blue eyes, fair skin. They both had black hair but Zair's was straight and fine instead of curly and thick like her mother. She assumed this came from her father, just like her heat vision and immense physical strength. Unfortunately, she was never able to confirm.

On that day, Zair's mother gave her a name: Sara Lane. This was clearly inspired by the sounds of her own name, Lo'slane. If Zair had known all that mother had done and planned to do, she would not have been so eager to finally see her mother. However, in her naivety, Zair could only marvel at the woman. Zair asked her mother a great deal of questions, some easier to answer than others.

"Can you tell me about my father?"

"His name is Kal-Il. His title is Ultraman... I loved him once, but that was a long time ago."

That is all her mother cared to tell her. That is also the last time she saw her mother alive.

Only a few days later, a man came to visit her in the facility. Pale skin, three-piece suit, bowler hat. He introduced himself as Alfred Pennyworth, claiming to be a friend of her mother's. A godlike being was planning to destroy their universe and he was tasked with taking Zair to another world, to safety. Zair had been forced into solitude for the sake of preserving a secret. As such, she had no attachments, no family or friends, nothing to leave behind. The death of her universe meant nothing since she had only seen a dozen cubic meters of it at any one time.

So, with nothing to lose and much to gain, she went with him. She believed him. This was the first person to be worthy of such regard from Zair. He treated her with dignity, being a dignified man himself. Though, he was also something of an oddity. Unnatural and unnerving. In the new universe, he called himself "The Outsider", a name Zair felt fitting of herself. Regardless, he helped her become familiar with this new world she would inhabit. Earth, it was called. The first planet she would ever set foot on.

Zair's time with Alfred lasted only a year. Towards the end of this time, Alfred began bringing her into regular human society. He took her around the United States, visiting different cities, getting a feel for where Zair might like to live for the foreseeable future.

"What do you think of the places we've seen? Which one did you like the most?"

"I didn't like any of them, they all suck."

She knew why he was asking: he was preparing to leave her. Zair begged when the time came. However, he was called for other tasks. Tasks more important than traveling with the reject daughter of a supervillain whore. Impressions of her mother did not age well. The more that came to light, the more she hated the woman who birthed her. Perhaps it was for the best that they never met more than once.

Her eventual surrogate mother was a welcome substitute. An unattached career woman with a big house, lots of money, and no one to share it with. She lived in a border town called Renaiss, located between Canada and the United States. Alfred had made some sort of arrangement with this woman. Zair did not know all of the details. Though, she was informed that her powers were forbidden as part of the deal. She was groomed by her new mother and her associates to become an academic and social elite. This meant a very busy schedule and lengthy sessions of study and extracurricular activities. Still, despite these circumstances, Zair would be eternally grateful for all that Alfred had done for her. Her mother's only redeeming quality was having someone like him in her service.

She lived with her human mother for two years. During that time, she learned what a normal life was like. Family and friends, a sense of belonging, physical abilities which were blissfully ordinary. Others her age always thought she was strange. Zair made her best effort to fit in but it was useless to deny. The esteemed culture she was forced into only worsened matters. Her mother was constantly critical and demanding. Even the best of her friends couldn't help but comment on her alien accent and reserved mannerisms.

Though she eventually warmed to her new life, she still wondered about her father. She wanted to connect with her lost father in some way, even if it was very small. After all these years, she still didn't have a name to go with her father's name. Her real mother had not given her a Kryptonian first name. However, her human mother did at least entertain the thought.

"The name you have is just fine, dear."

"I know Mom, but this is different."

So they worked together and finally decided on "Zair". Zair Kal-Il would be her true name. Sara Lane would be her identity among humans. And, if she ever became a costumed fighter like her real parents, she would call herself "Ultragirl".

It was not long before she got that chance. Her mundane concerns were shattered by yet another catastrophe. Grail, the daughter of a dark god named Darkseid. This woman was a being of terrible power and abject depravity. Her arrival in Renaiss was announced by the destruction of the town hall and the murder of a dozen first responders. When Zair learned of this, she had a sinking feeling in her chest. This had something to do with her and she needed to act. And, for the first time, Zair's surrogate mother encouraged her to do so.

Zair approached Grail in the center of town. They exchanged a scarce few words where Zair introduced herself as Ultragirl and Grail expressed Zair was not what she expected. Grail was operating in pursuit of some prophecy which apparently called for a male infant, not a female teenager.

"If I'm not what you're looking for, why don't you just leave?"

"Oh, I'm sure you will be useful in some way. If not to me, then to my father."

They clashed in a harrowing display of power. Scorching red lasers, hypersonic flight, crushing blows which could flatten a city. It was like nothing Zair had ever experienced. Of course, experience was the key factor of Zair's defeat. She had never fought anyone close to her own strength. When it came time to unleash her full might, she did not know how. Zair fought hard but was defeated handily. Grail took Ultragirl as her prisoner, bringing her to a world of deserts and machines. Most of the planet was covered with industrial decay, churning and grinding, spewing black columns into the sky.

She toyed with Zair. She used her and tortured her and deprived her of her powers. Zair began to lose herself to the horror of this place and the cruelty of her jailers. Extended time in Grail's presence twisted Zair into something vile, turning her foul inside. However, Grail's obsession with her proved to be something of a dark blessing.

Darkseid soon grew tired of Grail being constantly distracted by her little plaything from Earth. When the dark god Darkseid himself demanded her presence, Zair was too broken to even register the appropriate degree of fear. Grail threw Zair to the ground before her father. Zair stared up at the most horrible being she ever had the displeasure to witness. Darkseid's eyes lit with hatred. In a stroke of wicked mercy, he killed her.

She was free of the torment.

* * *

However, the torment returned.

After years of damnation, Ultragirl found herself again at the mercy of Darkseid. The previous instance led to her fiery doom. This current moment was one of omens, the beginning of many horrors. The slaves were bowed and chanting, wishing that Darkseid's will be done. Grail wore a wicked grin, all too pleased to have her favorite pet returned after all this time. However, Darkseid was a monolith, unmoving, a vexing constant that rebuked all dissent. Ultragirl wailed, cursing her rotten fate. The throne room was alive with searing misery.

"Oh, hey guys," Hyperman said. "Am I interrupting?"

The Omega Effect flared in Darkseid's eyes. Beams of raw entropy darted towards Hyperman. They crisscrossed as the speedster blurred away, eventually striking the far wall. Hyperman zoomed out of the throne room and Darkseid folded his arms.

"Rise," Darkseid ordered. "Kill him. Kill all in his company."

Ultragirl stood, turned around, then launched into supersonic flight.

Darkseid's words were beyond a command. They were a mind-bending axiom. Ultragirl's will was usurped by the will of Darkseid. She flew after Hyperman, driven by bloodlust that was not her own, fueled by the flaming hatred of Apokolips. While Ultragirl could not match Hyperman's speed, she could still keep track of him with her enhanced sight. No matter how fast he ran, he would never escape. When he finally reached his team, Ultragirl would know. It would not take long for her to catch up to his allies. It would not take long to scatter their corpses on the wasteland.


	3. Death of the Council

Hyperman bolted into the tower.

"Hey, is the bridge ready?" he asked.

"It is," Synth said.

"Good, we need to leave."

"Did you find the god Raszyra linked with?" Miss Amazon asked.

Hyperman nodded. "Yeah, I did. He didn't seem too happy. I think I walked in on a ritual or something."

"Are we leaving or not?" The Shroud asked.

"The bridge is open, Dianne," Solarman said.

"And a dark god still lives," Miss Amazon said. "How powerful is this being?"

"Powerful is an understatement," Hyperman said. "Also, there's this girl he sent after-"

Heat vision swept through the tower. Sparks and flame erupted from the molten path that carved through the structure. Venusian Vicar took cover while Synth and Hyperman recoiled from the blast. Outside of the tower, Ultragirl hovered down to the ground, her eyes still blazing.

"Justice Council, to arms!" Miss Amazon said. She raised her shield and charged out of the room.

The councilors filed out of the room, Miss Amazon and Solarman at the head of the group. Ultragirl loosed another string of lasers at them, superheated beams which flared and burned the air. Miss Amazon and Solarman took the brunt of the attack, her shield and his invulnerability leaving them with only superficial singeing.

"Who are you?" Miss Amazon asked. She peeked over her shield to get a clear look at her enemy. "Do you serve this dark god I've been told of?"

"I am Ultragirl," she said. "I was revived by Darkseid for a single purpose: your destruction."

"Bondage to the will of another is no prestige," Miss Amazon said. "I will see you and your master cast down-"

Ultragirl lunged forward and struck with her incredible strength. Miss Amazon negated the blow with her divine shield then countered with a shield bash. Ultragirl was thrown back and the other councilors swiftly rushed in to seize the opportunity. Solarman took to the sky and fired heat vision from above while Hyperman and Synth followed up on the ground. Despite a great effort, their strikes either glanced off Ultragirl's durability or missed entirely because of her speed. A dozen attacks from each of them hardly dealt any damage while Ultragirl only needed a single punch to drive Synth into the ground. The cyborg crashed into the earth with enough force to send dirt and rocks flying from the impact. Hyperman time-warped away, narrowly escaping a similar fate.

Seeing this, Solarman dove towards Ultragirl. She flung her hands up in defense as his fist broke the sound barrier. The resulting collision released a shockwave which blasted the surroundings. The ground cracked beneath Ultragirl and the air boomed like thunder in her ears. Yet, she still stood, unfazed.

A puzzle took Solarman's face before Ultragirl performed a superpowered backflip. Her foot met his chin and sent him careening upward. Ultragirl chased her target into the sky. Her eyes shone red with energy as Solarman used his flight to stabilize. His eyes began to glow as well. They fired on each other. Red and orange beams clashed between them. The meeting of their lasers formed a blinding flare which burned the clouds from the sky.

Shortly after the clashing of their beams, they clashed with fists. Ultragirl reached Solarman mid-air and unleashed the full force of her physical power. Solarman returned in kind. They traded blows that measured in megatons until Solarman managed to land an exceptional hit. Ultragirl was knocked away, reeling into the sky. At first glance, they would seem evenly matched. However, Solarman's strength was fading. This planet had no sun, only red fire and black smoke. Conversely, Ultragirl had just emerged from the hellpits; the burning chaos of Apokolips was fresh in her veins. She was more powerful now than she would ever be.

Ultragirl rocketed downward. She tackled Solarman out of the sky. A thunderclap split the air as she crashed into him and another when she punched him into the ground. Solarman impacted like a meteor from orbit. An explosion of dirt and rocks followed. Ultragirl floated down and watched the dust clear. Solarman laid still, bloody and broken at the center of a massive crater in the earth.

"Holy shit," Hyperman said.

Synth struggled to stand, the left side of her head a mangled mess of flesh and metal. "We need to recalculate," she said.

Miss Amazon was fixed on the enemy. She watched Ultragirl land ahead of her. The amazon raised her shield and charged.

"Dianne!" The Shroud called.

Miss Amazon only heard her own scream and the whistle of her blade slicing the air. Her godly sword cut through Ultragirl's invulnerability, red mists spraying away from each slash. Ultragirl reeled as pain cut through her body. She backed away from the divine warrior long enough to charge energy in her eyes. However, this was not plain heat vision. Red-black beams of entropy poured out of Ultragirl's eyes. Miss Amazon raised her shield and the terrible Omega Beams blasted the aegis into a thousand golden shards. Miss Amazon was flung backward, ghastly burns all over her face and arms.

The Shroud and Hyperman rushed forward to cover their leader. Venusian Vicar helped in the battle with a winged chimera which she summoned and commanded to attack. It joined the two heroes as they approached Ultragirl. While Ultragirl's attention was focused on her closest attackers, Venusian Vicar ran forward and knelt down next to Miss Amazon.

" _Hrelia's Mending Grace,"_ Vicar chanted.

"I thank you, Raszyra," Miss Amazon said. A benevolent spirit formed overhead, bathing them in vitalizing light. Her wounds healed and she found the strength to return to her feet. "But now you must go."

"What?" Venusian Vicar said. "We can't leave you."

"You can, and you will," Miss Amazon said. "You and Synth use the bridge, now. Some among us must survive..."

Miss Amazon ran towards the fight while Vicar and Synth exchanged a look. They headed back for the tower.

Ultragirl ripped the head off of Vicar's summoned beast, it's death bellow ended by the sound of flesh and bone ripping asunder. The Shroud expanded into a massive black cloud. He engulfed Ultragirl in his darkness, weighing upon her will, taxing her every movement. Hyperman darted in and out of this cloud to deliver a few strikes before retreating to safety. This went on for long enough to bring Ultragirl down to her knees. However, within her, the Omega Effect was boiling, churning, poised to erupt.

The Shroud's dark visions only further removed any shred of humanity within Ultragirl. She was trembling with agony as the nightmares drove her out of her own body. Soon all that remained was Darkseid, his horrible will, and his annihilating power. Darkseid was not known for inhibition.

Ultragirl's Omega Effect exploded.

She screamed as every muscle in her body tensed from the effort of the blast. A wave of utter obliteration was cast outward, a power so raw and so wicked that even the air was burned to nothingness. The Shroud was vaporized beyond repair, extinguished in his cloud form like a candle in the wind. Hyperman ran away but was still hit by the very edge of the blast. He fell to the ground, his back and his heels scorched black.

Miss Amazon watched Ultragirl stand up in the aftermath of her hellish attack. Fire and rubble were strewn about the blasted landscape. Hyperman crawled on the ground between them. Ultragirl and Miss Amazon flew at each other. Hyperman barely managed to flinch away from their clash. Ultragirl used her super speed and reflexes to avoid the godly sword which threatened to end her life. She took quick shots in between Miss Amazon's sword strikes. Just a light jab from Ultragirl was enough to break her enemy's nose or shatter her ribs.

Ultragirl's physical strength eclipsed Miss Amazon by several times. If not for her divine armament, Miss Amazon would meet a swift end. Ultragirl soon realized this. She pushed through her injuries and changed her focus to disarming the amazon. Miss Amazon cycled from her sword to a spear and finally a bow, each dealing massive damage to Ultragirl but ultimately stripped away. After disarming her for the third time, Ultragirl punched Miss Amazon square in the chest.

Miss Amazon coughed blood as the impact shattered her breastplate and sent her flying. Her chest armor crumbled to pieces, leaving only banded leather on her upper body. She wiped her mouth as she fought to stand, her hand coming away slick with red. Every inch of her was bloody and aching. She struggled to remain upright while her enemy soldiered on, seemingly unfazed by the burns and gory wounds that littered her body.

This "Ultragirl" was a monstrosity like the Council had never faced. However, Miss Amazon still had her divine heritage. Her most powerful of allies. She raised her hand and looked up into the sky. Ultragirl's eyes were blazing.

"By the power of Mount Olymp-"

Omega beams lanced through her chest.

The entropic energy annihilated the amazon in a flash of burning red. She disintegrated, her bones made dust and her flesh made ash. She didn't even have time to scream. All that remained was particulate carbon and a patch of scorched earth where she once stood.

Ultragirl floated upward from the scene and flew away, heading for the tower. She flew over Hyperman. He cried out to her, to his few remaining teammates. When no response came, he swore and pushed up, forcing himself to stand despite the pain.

Within seconds, Ultragirl had landed. She walked into the tower and saw the cyborg step a foot into the portal. Ahead of her, another shape had already gone through. Synth detected Ultragirl and turned around. Synth transformed her arm into a blaster cannon as Ultragirl's eyes lit with red energy.

"No!"

Hyperman sped into Ultragirl before her lasers went off. He tackled into her at lightspeed, which then caused them both to crash into Synth. Hyperman's momentum then carried all three of them into the portal together.

They beamed through a luminous bridge before tumbling out the other end. Ultragirl looked up to see a massive viewport overlooking Earth's surface. There was a team of young heroes all looking at the planet below. Everything else around them was gray metal like the inside of a spaceship. An observation deck. The Watchtower.

Venusian Vicar looked on with confusion as she saw Ultragirl among them.

"Hyperman!" Synth said, gesturing to Ultragirl. "You brought her here?!"

"What do you- I-" Hyperman looked at his foe then back to Synth. "Send her back!"

"I can't, there's no gate on this end!" Synth said.

Ultragirl fired her heat vision on Hyperman and the beams burned through his head. He fell dead, two smoldering holes in his face. Synth formed blades along her forearms and ran at Ultragirl.

"Vicar!" Synth called. "Take the Youth Council! Get out!"

The Youth Council turned away from the window to see Synth and Ultragirl do battle. This engendered myriad reactions among the young heroes. Some were eager to join the fight, others were confused or frightened, some looked to their peers. However, one of them flew away from the group. Venusian Vicar floated over to the Youth Council and whisked them away with a chant.

" _Swiftly Into the Elsewhere."_

The venusian and the young heroes vanished. The one who left their company landed on the main deck where Synth and Ultragirl were fighting. Ultragirl dismembered the cyborg with a series of heat vision blasts. Ultragirl then walked over and drove her arm through the cyborg's chest. Synth's technological armor was punctured by Ultragirl's bare hand. The edged metal was sundered utterly, giving way to the soft insides of her heart and lungs.

With her last ounce of life, Synth interfaced with the Watchtower. She triggered the alarm ordering all heroes aboard the station to evacuate. Blaring sirens soon sounded throughout the Watchtower, and red emergency lights painted every deck. Blood spilled down Ultragirls forearm as she crushed Synth's vital organs. Finally, Ultragirl tossed the Synth's corpse on the floor. There she joined Hyperman, dead at Ultragirl's feet.

"Where's my father?" the young heroine asked.

Ultragirl turned to her but said nothing. Her eyes were aflame.

"He's a member of the Justice Council, just like those two you killed," the heroine went on. Blonde hair, blue eyes, white suit, orange trim and cape. Her face and her costume much resembled one of the heroes she fought on Apokolips. Solarman. "He would have been with them..."

"I killed him," Ultragirl said. "He lays dead in a barren grave on Apokolips."

"No..." Solargirl shook her head. The tears in her eyes were burned away by solar energy. "I don't believe you!"

White-gold beams of light shot through the air and blasted Ultragirl. She fell end over end until colliding with the far wall. Ultragirl climbed up to her feet and her lips curled in anger. The air was vibrating from her power. She flew back to the deck and landed before walking towards Solargirl. Solargirl's clenched fists began glowing with sunlight.

"Whoever you are... wherever you're from... you will pay for what you've done."

Ultragirl bore a devilish grin. "I answer only to Darkseid who strengthens me.

* * *

Next chapter: _Ultragirl vs Solargirl !_


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